Hostages: Has the CBS Show Been Cancelled?

Published: December 17, 2013

CBS has just released details about the two hour finale of Hostages but refer to it as just a “season finale” instead of a “series finale.” Does that mean that the “limited series” is coming back for a second season?

On Hostages, Toni Collette plays Ellen Sanders, a doctor who’s set to perform a fairly rudimentary surgical procedure on the President (James Naughton). When a group of men (led by Dylan McDermott) invade her home and take her family hostage, she’s faced with a lose-lose decision. If she doesn’t cause the President to die on the operating table, the terrorists will kill her family. The cast also includes Rhys Coiro, Billy Brown, Sandrine Holt, Tate Donovan, Quinn Shephard, and Mateus Ward.

The Monday night drama got off to a mediocre start in the ratings, drawing a 1.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 7.41 million total viewers. In week two, the numbers fell more than 16% and they’ve essentially kept falling ever since. Last month, it hit a new low with a 1.0 demo rating and 4.5 million viewers.

The network touted Hostages as a “limited series” from the start but, had the show been a success, they surely would have found a way to bring it back in some form.

How? Well, we don’t need to worry about that. Unfortunately for fans of the show, there’s virtually no chance that CBS will bring Hostages back next year. The ratings are just too low.

Hopefully, the producers knew the show won’t be back and have prepared a very satisfying ending.

[Possible Spoiler:] The two-hour season (series) finale airs on January 6th at 9pm. The episodes are titled “Suspicious Minds” and “Endgame” and are described this way: “After Duncan discovers Sandrine’s betrayal, he decides to use her to save Nina and Sawyer. Also, just before Ellen is to operate on the President, the First Lady confronts her and forces Ellen to tell the truth about the assassination plot.”

What do you think? Do you like Hostages? Do you think it should be brought back somehow? Why do you think that more people didn’t tune in?

I love the hostage . I look forward to watch the hostage. its exciting, and acting is
fabulous. why you pick the good show off the air the worse show you keep it on.
the elemtary the acting is horrible. I watch it twice, and I turn it off. I really love the
hostage. leave it on for the next year.

CBS please do not cancelled the show me and my family love the show so much, we watch it every Monday and sad to mis it last week if I don’t see the hostages again I will stop watching Anything on CBS…..

Loved the show, my husband and I watched it every week. Not sure what it was up against but it was a great show. Maybe if it were on a different night or time it would have more viewers. Please don’t cancel….give them another chance!!

I love Hostages! I would really hate to see this show end. I think the reason for the low ratings is it is on the wrong night. If it were up to me, I would sure try different time slots and days before I cancelled any show . Please try to keep the show.

Hostages is the best drama show on tv I cannot wait until each Monday to watch because it is so intriguing . I love the twist and turns. It needs to come back. Bring it back on maybe a Thursday or Friday. There is not much interesting shows on those days. Bring back Hostages !

Loved the show from the beginning and it’s so frustrating that when there is a good show on they always pull it off. I;m just so sick and tired watching re-runs and reality shows there’s nothing worse than watching people making fools of themselves and not in a good way. Pleeeaaase keep Hostages going.

I think I’m the biggest fan of hostages! I fell in love with the first episode and I’ve been hooked every since!! I think the only reason people didn’t get into is because they watched the black list first and loved it. I did just the opposite. So I’m thinking hostages just didn’t get a fair chance, maybe a different time would’ve helped!! I really don’t want to see it cancelled!!

I love this show Hostages on CBS. And to think it may be canelled, is frustrating as there are so many programs that continue on and on and are not in the same league as Hostages. Hostages is smart, keeps one guessing, it is like The Good Wife. But we see NCIS renewed year after year, and it is so predictable as is Blue Bloods, which is a twenty first century Bonanza, very corny. Keep Hostages on, it is that GOOD!

I understand your frustration. I feel the same way about Betrayal…a show I love…
and as it is a limited series….they did not cancel it…but…it will not return. There really is not much more they could do with the show..plot etc. Would have been nice
if they could have brought it back. Great cast.
Hostages is considered a limited series also….15 episodes for it I think….there are 13 for Betrayal.
Why do the networks keep renewing the reality series….and some really stupid comedies. Maybe that is what the public wants?? not I !!!

The reason there are so many reality shows is because they don’t have to spend $$$ on real actors.
It’s all about $$$. Think about it, years ago a 1 hour program ran 55 minutes with 5 minutes of commercials. These days, the program is 42-45 minutes long with 15-18 minutes of commercials!

The Hostages is such a great show! I watch it first and tape Blacklist. All the actors do a fine job…. Not to mention that I think that Toni Collette (Ellen) is SOOOOOOO sexy!
I don’t care what they have to do to keep this program on
(Including moving the timeslot), PLEASE KEEP IT ON!

I looked forward to Hostages each week, but due to the subject of the series – killing of the president- it is difficult to imagine its longevity. How long can you hold people hostage to complete the task, for goodness sake!

This has been one of the best series on CBS. The plot may be a little preposterous but the suspense and turning events were top drawer. I didn’t even leave the TV for fear I would miss a change in the next event. Producers—-a well done! Too bad you can’t come up with a credible followup and continue the series.

Excellent show. Perhaps if the day and time are changed Hostages would get a larger audience. Part of the problem is that:
1- It is up against the popular shows Castle and The Blacklist (no one can compete with James Spader).

2 – When it first aired, it was also up against Monday Night Football.